“Hey, you, do you know her name? Or what she took?” the guy yelled at me.
I shook my head. “Bess. That’s all I know. That was her friend hightailing it out of here when you showed up.”
We were causing a scene by now, a few patrons coming over to check out who was passed out.
“A lot of help you are,” the EMT said to me before going back to his call.
And then they were wheeling her out as fast as they ran in when Jake showed up. Apparently, the guy who called 911 called him afterward—we couldn’t fool that smart dude.
We ran after the paramedics, following them outside, my bare feet pounding the cold concrete.
“Goddamn, Lane. What the fuck?” he scolded me, stopping to watch Bess being lifted into the back of the ambulance.
“Me? What the fuck?”
“Yeah, you!” he yelled back.
We hadn’t even noticed the ambulance turn its lights on until the siren alerted us to it leaving.
“Fuck! Fuck you! You just let them go without even riding with that girl,” I berated Jake. “She’s in there all alone and you’re mad at me?” I went on, stomping back to the gym to get my shoes and shit.
As the two of us walked back inside, Lexie peeked her head out of the yoga room and looked like she was seeing double. Because she was. Apparently she didn’t know Jake was a twin. An identical one.
And I’d become so consumed with exacting revenge on Jake for a lifetime of fixing shit that I didn’t go to the hospital. Instead I’d fucked Lexie.
My trip down memory lane was interrupted by Jake yelling at me.
“Lane! While you’re at it, explain to me how she doesn’t know you have a twin brother. That’s my fucking play, if you recall.”
Yeah, I know.
“Well, you also know I’m very good at keeping secrets, bro. Now, can you fucking tell me if she’s okay?”
“The girl is fine, and a fine piece of raw meat too, if you ask me. But she’s fine. Had some sort of panic attack and was making a big deal about a necklace and a letter you sent being missing.”
“What? Missing?”
It’s worth a small fortune.
“Gone. Some dude was harassing her and pitched a fit, causing her to black out from stress, and I guess he left with the necklace.”
I rubbed my chest. My heart hurt. My head ached.
“Jesus Christ,” I said. “Where the fuck are you now?”
“On my way home, brother. I can’t stay around all day and clean up your mess while you screw some chick who nearly croaked on drugs during yoga, and you’re pledging your undying love or some shit to her by snail mail.”
“Jake! You owe me and you know it.”
“Well, when you want to come clean to the little lady, let me know.”
“Yeah, come clean. Is that what you really want?” I put the window back up, the vibration of the wind making my already pounding head worse.
“Do whatever the fuck you need to do, Lane. ’Bye.”
I slammed my phone on the seat next to me and looked out the window. As pastures lined with white fences zipped past, I prayed I could keep all my emotions contained on this trip. I didn’t have the time or patience for nightmares right now.
The car turned around and descended the driveway in the darkness, I watched the red brake lights pulling away, steadying myself before I entered Bess’s little house. The last time I’d been there hadn’t exactly ended spectacularly.
